5 Issues in the Race for Santa Monica City Council

JUDY ABDO

Age 48. Mayor pro tem, running for a second term; endorsed by SMRR; only woman on council; advocate for women’s and children’s issues.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Homelessness. We should implement the Homeless Task Force’s recommendations, which include strict enforcement of laws against aggressive panhandling and other illegal behavior.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? I did vote to fire Bob Myers. This painful decision was made necessary when the city attorney made it clear that he could no longer work cooperatively with the council and staff members in carrying out council policies.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? The Promenade has had great success in finding enough entertainment and restaurants. Now it is time to concentrate on retail uses. We need to concentrate on cleaning up the Pier and implementing the approved plans.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. The city has been under a moratorium on commercial development for almost four years. We need to preserve our older buildings. We need more affordable housing, not more commercial development.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Many members of the public participate at council meetings and I welcome their input. Some council members tend to get bogged down in details and talk too much. Council members should make decisions without endless oratory.

JOHN G. BARON

Age 48. Laemmle Theater chain executive; on Citizens Protection Alliance slate along with Shane and Turk.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Public safety. Deterioration has become especially acute during the past four years, as the present council pursued its private agenda. We should give the police appropriate ordinances and the full support of the council.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Bob Myers should have been fired long ago. The recent, suspiciously timed firing was a complete political charade designed by SMRR to fool the voters. What was Myers doing in September that he hadn’t been doing for a long time?

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Agree with positions stated by Edith Shane and A. Marco Turk.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. I would reverse council’s recent change of an ordinance that now allows mental health facilities, shelters and feeding programs in all city neighborhoods. This is dangerous and extremely undemocratic.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Agree with Shane and Turk.

ANTHONY BLAIN

Age 31. L.A. city prosecutor specializing in environmental crime; endorsed by Santa Monica police and fire unions.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The lack of public safety in our parks and neighborhoods is the biggest problem in Santa Monica. Why has the City Council compromised our safety by permitting this situation to go on virtually unchecked? I will support our police chief.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes. As an attorney, I understand that any city attorney who refuses to follow the instructions of his client should expect to be fired. The city attorney must work with the City Council and the police to enforce all ordinances.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? I am deeply concerned about the direction our city has taken. I don’t want the Pier “Fun Zone” to deteriorate into a “Gang Zone.” I support family-oriented entertainment to stabilize the revitalization of the Promenade and the Pier.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. The City Council has failed this community by permitting excessive development. I support controlled growth and will not allow “cut-through” traffic to invade our neighborhoods.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Politicians talk too much and do not listen enough to the people of Santa Monica. Meetings that last until 2 a.m. are a symptom of excessive micro-managing.

MERRITT COLEMAN

Age 48. Urban environmental planner, active in the slow-growth movement as president of Mid-Cities Neighbors.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The biggest problem is the unwillingness and inability of the current City Council and the two planning commissioners seeking election to the council to listen to the directions given to them by the overwhelming majority of Santa Monicans.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? I would have abstained that night. You must realize that council meetings are not real. They are a cross between an evening soap opera and a situation comedy. The script, characters and decisions are made in secret in advance.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Santa Monica has taken on too many regional obligations while neglecting local residents. The Promenade is our Queen Mary, and the Pier is becoming our Spruce Goose--great for now, but serious problems lie ahead when boom turns to bust.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Our council has failed us completely. They have followed a boom-or-bust, glitz-and-glamour policy that even their supporters call the “devil’s bargain.” It will fail, with the residents who won’t or can’t move paying the price.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

The cause is simple political posturing by council members and a belief that they, not the residents, know everything, from where to put a statue to what kind of grass to plant in the parks. The impact is that the public is discouraged from participating.

DOROTHY EHRHART- MORRISON

Age 62. Child- development specialist with a Ph.D.; a director of city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The burgeoning homeless population. We must provide counseling, job training, job opportunities and affordable housing. We must continue the food program. We must respect the legitimate concerns of the community.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes, at the point when he began to impede efforts by the City Council to serve the members of the community. City employees must not be permitted to frustrate the implementation of decisions made by the council.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? A major industry in our town is tourism. It is important to add to that base other sources of income. We must not depend so strongly on tourism, especially during recessionary periods.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. The commercial moratorium was an important first step. When it is lifted in February, building standards must include strict controls on development, especially those that will add to our gridlock traffic and infringe on our quality of life.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

The length of the meetings is outrageous. Cut the trivia and long-windedness. Each member’s speaking time should be limited. Start at 4:30 p.m. to give workers and seniors a chance to participate. Refrain from micro-managing.

KEN GENSER

Age 41. Mayor, seeking a second council term; endorsed by SMRR and by police and fire unions; militant slow-growther.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The consequences of homelessness. We should enhance services directed toward those who need and want assistance but we must also work to erase our image as a city that welcomes all homeless people to come and hang out.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? I voted to fire Mr. Myers when he made it clear that he would not participate in the implementation of policies that would discourage additional homeless people from relocating to Santa Monica.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Nighttime entertainment use in the Promenade area has become too intense. I oppose additional entertainment venues in this district and in most other neighborhoods in the city, except for the incremental upgrading of the Pier.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. The commercial moratorium, in conjunction with the economy, has finally kept overdevelopment in check. Unfortunately, far too many “grandfathered” projects were approved over my protests.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Passionate participation by an involved public takes time. Passionate debate by an involved City Council takes even more time. I have proposed starting the meetings earlier.

ELLEN GOLDIN

Age 39. A writer; a political newcomer drafted by the slowest-growth faction of SMRR after its summer convention.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The jeopardy of our overall quality of life. This includes both personal safety on the level of crime and personal well-being in light of the effects of development on neighborhoods and infrastructure. I would always put our neighborhoods first.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? No. I would not have voted to have the city attorney create the laws he subsequently refused to prosecute. Bob Myers is a symbolic figure, representative of the polarization in our city.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? No. The Promenade is a successful product of private-public cooperation. It is being closely monitored so that its success does not defeat itself.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Over the last decade, we have witnessed City Hall accommodate one large commercial development after another. Despite constant protests from residents, this environmentally reckless policy resulted in disastrous overbuilding.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Verbose council members and public input. I would like council members to put some attention on brevity. I would not cut off public input.

ASHA GREENBERG

Age 40. A gang and drug prosecutor in the L.A. city attorney’s office; endorsed by the police and fire unions.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Public safety. Violent crime has increased, as have theft crimes. Crime in the city’s growing homeless population has made residents afraid to use the parks and beaches. I would implement the homeless task force recommendations.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes, when he refused to follow council instructions to draft the anti-encampment ordinance. As a city employee, Myers had an obligation to follow his employer’s instructions. As a prosecutor, he was duty-bound to ensure the safety of the people of the city.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? We should consider additional entertainment sites very carefully. While the Pier needs to be revitalized, the nature and size of the development will create nuisance activities, burdening the Police Department and the neighbors.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Since 1984, the City Council has approved 8.6 million square feet of development. We have had too much growth too fast. Two major projects approved by the council, the beach hotel and the airport development, were resoundingly defeated by the voters.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Long meetings are a symptom of the current council’s attempts to micro-manage the affairs of the city. They study everything and accomplish very little. I would limit council members to five minutes of comment on each item.

GEORGE HICKEY

Age 60. A medical engineering consultant and slow-growth activist highly critical of the current council.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Crime, drugs, alcohol, gangs, homelessness, housing, traffic--all of these are interactive and interrelated and cannot be treated in isolation from each other.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? I don’t buy the argument by the SMRR council that Myers was insubordinate. I would never tolerate a private meeting (to decide) that Myers was to be fired several days hence. The council should do its job in an agendized meeting.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? We already are a major regional attraction, drawing 300,000-plus on a good weekend. Thanks to the current council, it’s going to get worse. I would work to ban all alcohol on the Pier. Investment must be made in our infrastructure.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Miserable. They have spent millions of our dollars promoting development without the backing of the people. Residents suffer from the impacts. I propose no development before its time: zero net increase in water usage, sewage, traffic and drunks.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

of control of subject matter coupled with unprepared staff. The council has allowed itself to become a dispute-resolution service. Public hearings should start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. Meetings should occur on weekend days.

JOEL PIERCE

Age 48. A manager of computer operations at RAND Corp.; sharp critic of management practices of the current council.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The control of the city by the SMRR coalition. They have squandered the city’s money on programs that have failed. Meanwhile, the city’s health and welfare is in decline and basic city services go begging. We need fair representation.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Mr. Myers should have been asked to step down at the first indication he was not going to meet the basic obligations of an employee of the city. If he refused to resign, I would have fired him on the spot, without any $82,000 bonus in either case.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Anything for arts and entertainment seemed to be a major SMRR goal. They have put all of their revenue eggs in one basket. They may have gone too far. I will be very careful to avoid the congestion and mess they have created.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Abysmal. They have gone from one section of the city to the next without regard to the effects of how development in one area will affect the financial viability of another. I will bring the entire city’s interests into the decision-making process.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

We havean excellent computer system available to everyone. I would insist on this form of communication rather than the lengthy and repetitive process now used. I would continue with the televised format so that the people know what has been decided.

TOM PYNE

Age 48. A hospital administrator; president-elect of Chamber of Commerce; planning commissioner; endorsed by Save Our City.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Rising crime and the threat to personal safety--a symptom of a bigger disease. The City Council has not been listening to real community concerns, makes decisions based on political reasons and has a philosophical bias out of sync with the community.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes, in July when he refused to draft the anti-encampment ordinance. We cannot allow an unelected city official to decide what his job will be.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? We have enough. It is not appropriate to have additional regional attractions drawing tens of thousands in their cars. It is appropriate to revitalize the Pier, the Promenade and the Civic Auditorium.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. It was the SMRR-controlled council that set the rules for all recent major building. It sought developers to build Colorado Place, the Water Garden, the Arboretum, the defunct Airport Project and the beach hotel. I would not have voted to develop the airport and beach hotel had I been on the council.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

We have a council out of control that pontificates on every issue. They should put their own political agendas aside, listen more to city staff, stop preaching, stop micro-managing and limit their comments.

BELOVED GIFTGIVEN QUAIL

Age 41. The homeless candidate; urges compassion for disenfranchised, and need for community standards.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The biggest problem is spiritual and attitude-based: lording it over and dominating rather than truly serving. Allowing homelessness to deteriorate until people are so fed up they accept police-state tactics is part of a plan to isolate some as expendable.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? No. Only when adequate alternatives are provided can anyone constitutionally, legally or morally be cited or arrested for sleeping in public.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Cities do need revenue bases, and the Pier, rather than neighborhoods, seems to me an excellent place to have enterprises that provide jobs for youth.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. We should continue the moratorium on development as least six months or a year to do an exhaustive inventory of what we have and how it could be better used.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

One cause is much citizen involvement. The other is council persons posturing and expounding so as to appear politically correct. The council limits public input by putting off crucial decisions until late at night, sometimes deliberately, to slip things by people.

PATRICK REGAN

Age 53. Assistant film director; says street people at film locations around the U.S. talk reverently of migrating to Santa Monica.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Paying for a bloated city government.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes, when he farmed out writing of the encampment ordinance. I would probably have voted to fire him earlier because he was so unctuous.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Santa Monica has to find ways to finance all of its programs. There are plenty of quick-fix dollars in regional entertainment. This will help the city create more pork-barrel jobs and consulting fees for SMRR party regulars.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. The current administration welcomes large developers, allowing zoning permutations and big profits along with political contributions. The small property owner without political and monetary resources is downzoned and driven out of business.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Coming from show business, I know long council meetings are about appearances and acting something out so the audience believes it’s really happening at the moment and hasn’t been scripted.

PAUL ROSENSTEIN

Age 48. An electrician with a master’s degree in labor management;a planning commissioner; endorsed by SMRR.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? We need leadership to project a unifying vision of the city. I strongly support essential services like police, fire and paramedics, education and public health. I favor humane policies toward the homeless, but we must set clear standards of behavior.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes. We cannot have city staff pursuing its own agenda.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? The focus of our projects should be to meet the needs of residents. However, tourist dollars are a relatively painless way to strengthen our economy. We need to carefully manage areas like the Promenade, Pier and Main Street.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Despite the city’s down-zoning commercial areas, the late ‘80s boom led to too much development. I support the commercial moratorium and new, smaller standards. We must carefully control growth and traffic.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Post-midnight meetings are an insult to the public process. I will work to end meetings at 11 p.m. The council should act like a board of directors, enacting policies and not nit-pick or micro-manage the city.

EDITH C. SHANE

Age 74. Retired nurse, educator; seniors’ coordinator for Citizens Protection Alliance, a law-and-order group.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Crime is out of control due to the council’s policies. I propose a policy requiring all city employees to perform their duties and uphold the laws, especially those designed to protect the citizens from harm.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes, the first time he refused to take instruction from the City Council.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Yes, especially with regard to alcohol outlets and the proposed Santa Monica Pier Fun Zone expansion. I propose a cap on alcohol outlets and special consideration of public safety before issuing permits.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. There has been no growth management. Special interests appear to be in control. Investigate the procedures used in developing environmental impact reports for accuracy and validity.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Politicians who like to pontificate on television. Replace the council members.

J. P SOLE

Age 34. Publisher of city guidebooks; advocates turning Santa Monica into a “solar-powered city.”

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Our city lacks direction. This is most apparent in the lack of policies on development, homelessness and transit. I will set aside a place for homeless to sleep, shower and store belongings.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? No. If we had a place where homeless people could sleep legally, and Myers still did nothing, then I would have fired him.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? The “entertainment mecca” lacks substance. There is a great difference between the attraction of neon and intelligent stimulation. We need both. We should go beyond being a regional entertainment center to becoming a Global Mecca.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Bicker and argue week after week? No thanks. As a community, we should plan, lot by lot and building to building what Santa Monica will be in 20 years.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

When City Council meetings run long because citizens want to be involved, it is a good thing. If we had a comprehensive development plan, the nature of most council meetings would be elevated to a higher level.

A. MARCO TURK

Attorney, 57; one of three running on a slate backed by Citizens Protection Alliance, a law-and-order group.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? Public safety. I would urge that appropriate police protection be deployed to all areas of the community, urge enactment, enforcement and prosecution for violations of ordinances, and reject all council actions that may weaken public safety.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Yes. As a public official, he has an obligation to uphold the law. If he couldn’t do this because of his personal convictions, he should have resigned immediately.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Yes. I propose that we pull back in this area and instead work to attract traditional substantial business and industry to save Santa Monica for the long haul. We should also enact an ordinance to limit the number of alcohol outlets.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Their record has permitted haphazard growth causing traffic congestion, adverse environmental impact and jeopardizing public safety. Their actions appear to be controlled by special interests.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

Council factions and private agendas, as well as a desire to discourage public information and participation. Council meetings are a charade camouflaging the fact that all important decisions have already been made.

ALAN E. WESTON

Age 55. Financial consultant; political newcomer backed by police and fire unions and Save Our City, a public safety group.

1. What’s the biggest problem facing Santa Monica and what, specifically, would you do about it? The conflict between the priorities of the City Council and the priorities of residents. Commercial development at the expense of the neighborhoods and failure to implement the homeless task force report are two examples.

2. Would you have voted to fire Robert M. Myers as city attorney? Had the recommendations of the homeless task force been implemented in a balanced manner, the issue of firing the city attorney might not have come to a head.

3. Has Santa Monica gone too far in becoming a regional entertainment mecca? What do you propose? Not until alternative places to sleep have been created.

Given the deficiencies in our past planning processes, we need to determine that we have the resources to maintain the quality of our beaches, infrastructure and neighborhoods before we add more entertainment businesses to the city.

4. Assess the city’s recent record on managing growth in Santa Monica. Poor. While the population has declined since 1980, we have experienced a huge growth in commercial development, a threefold increase in the city’s budgets and 50% growth in city staff. We are getting very little for our money.

5. What is the cause and what is the significance of the length of City Council meetings?

at every opportunity, even if they have nothing to say. Meetings should start at 5 and end at 11:30, with unfinished business carried over. Conducting business at 1 or 2 a.m. disenfranchises citizens.